She’s gasping and thrusting back against me, and I watch in awe as her eyes squeeze shut and her lips part and she pretty much screams my name from there on the island. She convulses under my finger and around my cock, her muscles shuddering and fluttering so beautifully that I letgo, too. I go rigid and pump into her as deep as I can and I see fucking stars as my orgasm seizes my body and robs me of my sight.
I stand there, shaking with effort and overwhelm as she goes limp beneath me and the side of her face I can see breaks out into a smile. There is nothing I want more than to pick her up and take her to the bed, and slide in next to her so I can hold her tight and feel her skin. I haven’t even gotten her naked yet. Fucking costumes.
But I can’t do any of that, so I bend over her and put my weight on top of her, and finally, I get to smooth back that intoxicating blonde hair from her beautiful face, and I lick up her neck to her earlobe before whispering in her ear:
‘You’ve fuckingshatteredme. I am a broken man.’
‘Mmm,’ she says sleepily. ‘You’ve broken me, too. That was incredible.’
But I know she doesn’t mean it how I mean it.
CHAPTER 34
Elle
Although Nicola Marchant, the author of theGrosvenorseries of books, was involved in the casting process for the TV series, I haven’t met her. Apparently, Alyssa wasn’t the only one who had me and Josh in her sights for the lead roles: we were Nicola’s number one choices too. I’d like to think she’s a traitor for being on team Josh-as-Dom, but I can’t blame her.
Unfortunately, she and Alyssa were right. Josh is fucking amazing as Dominic.
Nicola’s on set today. She’s chosen a good day to visit: we’re shooting my favourite scene from the book. To be honest, it’s everyone’s favourite scene, and I’ve envisaged it a million times in my head. It’s the scene that marks the real turning point in Dominic and Georgiana’s relationship, when she finally allows herself to recognise that they’re good together and have a real hope of a happy marriage.
This scene follows a conversation between the two of them a few weeks after their marriage. They’re living in Coventry and suffering from a typical failure to communicate. Georgiana misses her family, and she’s intimidated andoverwhelmed by having to be mistress of such a great estate. She’s desperately homesick.
Dominic, knowing this marriage is a love match only on his side, and overly conscious that she’s only married him to secure her family’s future, has decided it’s best to give her space. Suffice to say, they’re both utterly miserable.
Georgiana brings up her loneliness in a circumspect way at breakfast in the scene preceding this one and says she should like to see more of His Grace, whereby Dominic proposes a picnic lunch in Coventry House’s great library. Basically, cue the most gorgeous, intimate, sexy, dreamy scene I, as a romance reader, could possibly want. There are strong shades of Beauty and the Beast, which I suspect was a deliberate decision on Nicola’s part (what is it about libraries that makes our hearts flutter so?), and like in Beauty and the Beast, this is where Georgiana gets to see Dominic’s softer, more literary and more human side.
Most of all, I’m excited to see the set the crew has built for the library. Alyssa told me they tried really hard to get a licence to film at Admont Abbey in Austria, which is probably the most beautiful library in the world with its gold and white baroque bookshelves and domed, frescoed ceilings.
I can’t imagine it came as a surprise that the monks weren’t up for having oral sex simulated on their iconic chequered floor (spoiler alert: the library session with Dom gets pretty damn great for Georgiana), and they turned theGrosvenorproducers down flat. So, the crew has built what is apparently the most intricate set of the entire production for the library, and the painted ceilings will be green-screened.
Nicola and I share a major fan-girl moment when Alyssa introduces us. I’m expecting a quirky type with a tea-cosy hat, but my assumptions are way off the mark. She’s platinum blonde and immaculate, despite having travelled up from Bath on the train this morning.
I’m in full costume—Georgiana is wearing a stunning, palest pink gown embroidered with seed pearls for her library tryst with her delicious duke—and Nicola claps her hand over her mouth when she sees me.
‘Oh my God,’ she says through her hand when she can speak. ‘You are a bloody vision, do you know that? Avision. Holy shit. Can I hug her? Can I hug you?’
‘Of course you can!’ I open my arms for a hug and she steps into them. It’s incredibly special and exciting for me to meet the woman whose amazing brain created Georgiana and Dominic, and I intend to grill her relentlessly about both of them, but I hadn’t realised, until I saw her reaction, what a head-fuck it must be to see her most famous and universally beloved character (well, second most beloved after Dominic Coventry, if I must be honest) made flesh.
‘I can’t believe it.’ She extricates herself from the hug and grabs me by the forearms so she can inspect me. ‘Look at you. I’ve always wanted you as Georgiana, you know that? Ever since the moment I started talking to Azure. I’ve adored you sinceGracie. And that one’—she jerks her thumb at Alyssa’s retreating back—‘got you for me.’
‘Me and Josh Lander,’ I tell her drily, and I take a moment to enjoy the mortification on her face before I put her out of her misery and crack a smile.
‘Oh my God. Is it quite awful for you, acting with him? I felt so bad about the whole thing, but Azure told me you’d have the final choice, and Alyssa and I only ever had one Dominic in our heads, I’m afraid.’
This poor woman doesn’t need to know Azure totally shafted me on that front. She’s done nothing except create the world’s most delicious male hero.
‘We’re fine.’ I put a reassuring hand on her arm. ‘He’s fine, honestly. I don’t take any crap from him. And I have to admit, much as it pains me to—he is fabulous as Dominic.’
She looks as though the thought of Josh as Dominic is too much for her. I can relate. ‘Is he really? I haven’t seen any rushes yet—Alyssa’s promised me some today.’
‘He’s amazing. Just as arrogant and infuriating and sexy as you intended him to be—I think, anyway. Have you met Josh yet?’
‘No. And Icannot wait.’
‘I bet you can’t.’ I gesture to Parka Pete, who comes running over, and introduce them. ‘Pete, can you see if Josh has finished primping and get him over here to meet Nicola? And perhaps grab a cuppa for her, if there’s one going?’
‘Absolutely.’ He rushes off.
